Inspection Detail

Inspection: 311865034 - Uc Regents-Uc Davis

Inspection Information - Office: Sacramento District Office

Investigation Summary

On September 2, 2008, Employees #1 and #2 were plumbers working at the University of California at Davis, running a new water condensate line inside a building on campus. Employee #1 was kneeling down, while using a small cylinder of Bernz-O-Matic MAPP gas with a Lenox LT91 torch as he worked on the condensate line. All of sudden, the cylinder ruptured releasing its remaining gas causing a fire ball to erupt. Employee #1 moved to his right to escape the fire ball and sustained burns to his left arm from his hand and fingers up to his elbow and his face. Employee #2 who happened to be cleaning up trash in the area became in engulfed in the fire ball and sustained severe burns to his right hand, his right and left arms, and his face. Both employees were able to get downstairs and began applying water to their burns when a custodian passed by and notified the UC Davis Fire Department. The fire department arranged transportation to the UC Davis Medical Center Burn Unit in Sacramento. The burns sustained by Employee #2 required a skin graft and Employee #1 sustained less severe burns. Employee #1 was hospitalized for four days and Employee #2 was hospitalized for ten days.

Keywords: BURN, GAS, PLUMBING, ARM, FACE, HAND